What to Say When It's Time to Ask For a Gift | Fearless Fundraising Part 3 (ep. 68)
Making the ask is often the moment when an otherwise confident fundraising conversation suddenly gets uncomfortable.
You can talk passionately about the problem your nonprofit exists to solve. You can explain the impact your organization is making. But then comes the moment when you actually have to ask someone to give.
In this episode of the Nonprofit Launch Plan Podcast, we continue building the Fearless Fundraising Framework with Step 3: The Ask.
A strong fundraising ask isn’t about pressuring someone into giving. It’s about clearly inviting them to participate in an impact they already understand and care about.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why asking for money shouldn’t feel like an awkward change of subject
- The difference between transactional and relational fundraising
- Why vague fundraising asks make giving harder for donors
- How to connect a specific gift amount to a specific impact
- Why clarity is not the same thing as pressure
- How many giving options you should offer
- How to tailor your ask based on the donor and the relationship
- What to do immediately after you make the ask
- Why silence is an important fundraising skill
- How to respond when a donor says no
- Three questions you can use to test whether your fundraising ask is strong
The goal isn’t to find a magical fundraising script that guarantees someone will say yes.
Your job is to clearly present the opportunity, confidently invite someone to participate, and then give them the dignity of deciding what they want to do.
Build Your Fearless Fundraising Framework
The Fearless Fundraising Framework is built around five pieces:
- Problem: What needs to change?
- Solution: What can the donor help make possible?
- Ask: What specifically are you inviting them to do?
- Urgency: Why should they act now?
- Action: What should they do next?
For this episode, work on completing this sentence:
Would you consider ____________________?
Then test your ask with three questions:
Is it specific? Can the donor tell exactly what you’re asking them to do?
Is it connected to impact? Can they understand what their gift will help make possible?
Is it appropriate? Does the amount and type of gift make sense for this donor and this situation?
Then say your ask out loud until the words feel natural coming from you.
Want Help Building Your Fundraising Message?
I’m offering a complimentary 90-minute coaching call where you and I will build your nonprofit’s Fearless Fundraising Framework together.
We’ll work through the problem, solution, ask, urgency, and action around your actual organization so you leave with clearer fundraising language you can use in donor conversations, emails, your website, and the rest of your fundraising communication.
Visit nonprofitlaunchplan.com and click Book A Call.
